Arthur Pendragon's aversion to pets
by yogini
Summary: "Merlin!" he roared. "If you can't get that puny little dog of yours to shut up I'll wring its pathetic little neck and have it served as shish kebab, do you hear me?"
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the characters in the series, I'm just borrowing them from their respective owners to play with a little and I promise to give them back when I'm done. No copyright infringement is intended and I don't make any money from writing fanfiction.

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 **Arthur Pendragon's aversion to pets**

* * *

The fucking dog was yipping and yapping again and Arthur was running on only four hours of sleep and too much coffee. He had two reports to finish before he could even think about going to bed and his father had all but publically humiliated him at the board meeting earlier that day. It was safe to say that he wasn't in a very good mood and since he normally barely tolerated Merlin' pet on a good day, the feeling that he was currently experiencing in regards to the wretched animal was downright murderous.

"Merlin!" he barked out. "I'm trying to work here!" The noise quietened down and Arthur sighed in relief and redirected his weary eyes back towards the laptop screen. He really needed to get his work done, and as soon as he'd finished he fully intended to do nothing more than slam his laptop shut, walk across the room and flop down on the bed for ten hours of glorious, uninterrupted sleep. Even getting out of his clothes or brush his teeth seemed excessive to him at this point. He managed to write a couple of more sentences before the barking started again, this time also accompanied by small whines and whimpers and the last of Arthur's patience disappeared like that.

" _Merlin_!" he roared. "If you can't get that puny little dog of yours to shut up I'll wring its pathetic little neck and have it served as shish kebab, do you hear me?" Complete silence from his flatmate followed but the dog continued undeterred, serenading the neighbourhood at the top of his lungs, and Arthur had to fight the instinct to throw the laptop across the room.

"Right" he seethed as he got to his feet and charged towards Merlin's room. "Right. That's fucking it!" He wrenched the door open and stormed over the threshold. "Merlin, if you don't…" he started angrily but then pulled up short at the sight that greeted him. "Merlin!" Merlin was on the floor, laying on his stomach, beside his upturned desk chair and he wasn't moving.

"Fuck!" Arthur all but jumped across the room and fell to his knees beside his flatmate, impatiently shooing the wailing dog away to get a better look.

"Merlin?" he asked, without getting any response and he could feel the panic flaring up inside him. He forced his hands to stop shaking and put his fingers' to Merlin's neck to check for a pulse, almost sobbing with relief when he felt it, strong and steady beneath his hand. Slowly and carefully he turned the other man, hissing when he saw the bleeding gash on his forehead.

"Merlin?" he tried again, gently shaking his shoulder. "Merlin?" No response and the first tendrils of panic that he'd felt now spiralled into a full-blown tornado as he fumbled for his phone and called for an ambulance. A calm, collected voice assured him that help would arrive swiftly and he continued to gently shake the other man's shoulder, praying to any deity that would listen for him to wake up again.

And finally, _finally_ , Merlin started moving again. His eyelids fluttered a couple of times before he opened his eyes.

"Arthur?" he asked, looking around with dazedly. "Arthur?"

"Yes, yes I'm here" Arthur answered as he took Merlin's hand.

"What happened?"

"You fell I think." Merlin tried to sit up but Arthur quickly stopped him.

"No stay there, the ambulance is on its way, they'll want to look at you before you start to move around" he rambled nervously. Merlin, normally stubborn enough to sit up just to spite Arthur for telling him what to do, obediently laid back down again and if Arthur hadn't been worried before he sure as hell was now. Merlin never did as he was told, and _especially_ not when Arthur was involved.

"Arthur? What happened?" he then asked again.

"I think you fell" Arthur answered for the second time, feeling his stomach twist uncomfortably. Maybe Merlin really had a serious head injury? "And I think you hit your head on the way down" he added when Merlin tried to sit up again. "Please just wait until the ambulance comes, they'll need to look at you before you get up."

"I'm tired" Merlin mumbled sleepily, eyes already drooping again, and Arthur panicked. Wasn't he supposed to keep Merlin awake, like they did in the movies? Talk to him? Should he whip out a flashlight and check Merlin's eyes? Except, he didn't know what to look for, should the pupils be small or dilated and was that good or bad and _where was that bloody ambulance that should have arrived hours ago already?_

Luckily the distant sound of sirens cut through Arthur's inner panicked monologue and as soon as he heard the vehicle pull up outside he almost sprinted through the house to let them in. After that it was a flurry of action with two paramedics poking and prodding, doing various tests and asking a lot of questions but not receiving many answers as Arthur hadn't seen anything and Merlin didn't remember anything. All he did was to keep insisting that he was fine and that he didn't need to go to the hospital. When it became clear that neither the paramedics nor Arthur were prepared to let it slide and that Merlin was going to the hospital whether he wanted to or not he gave up and only begged Arthur to take care of the dog until he was back. Since Merlin looked close to tears Arthur didn't have it in him to refuse and agreed to look after Freya until Merlin returned. After Merlin had left abundant, very detailed instructions that Arthur dutifully wrote down he was loaded onto a stretcher and lifted into the ambulance, looking all pale and small beneath the yellow hospital blanket, and Arthur was left alone to inform Hunith and try to figure out what to do with the inconsolable dog.

::

It turned out that informing Hunith and comforting her had been a walk in the park compared to taking care of the small Westie. Freya was clearly beside herself and just whined and wept miserably. Arthur tried everything. He'd given her food and poured fresh water into her bowl but all she did was sitting beside Merlin's desk, looking forlorn. He'd tried to take her for a walk but she was having none of it, and even tried tossing her hideously pink ball across the living room for her to fetch. With Merlin she would run back and forth for hours, barking happily, but when Arthur threw the ball she only looked at it mournfully and then laid her head down on one of Merlin's slippers. At his wit's end he crouched down and petted her silky soft ears a few times, remembering Merlin insisting that kisses and cuddles was an important part of raising a happy dog.

"There, there" he mumbled awkwardly. He looked at the instructions again, failed to see anything else about how to take care of a sad dog and then went to bed to sleep.

No sooner had he pulled the duvet up above his shoulders that he heard the quiet pitter-patter of claws against the floor and a small thud when Freya attempted to jump up on his bed but missed. Arthur sighed, turned and just knew what came next. The whining. Again. _Loudly_. Arthur groaned and leaned down over the bedframe to pick her up. Merlin always let Freya sleep on his bed and it was clear that she expected the same treatment from Arthur as well. Since he was still exhausted from work, and all other drama that day, he figured it'd be easier to just indulge her just this once and then tomorrow when he was rested he'd just be firm and resist both whines and puppy eyes as he calmly told her to go sleep in her own, perfectly comfortable dog bed. And with that plan Arthur went to sleep with the small Westie curled up behind his knees.

He also did the same thing the following night. And the night after that. And all the following nights until Merlin came back. Arthur told Freya that he wouldn't tell anyone unless she did, she woofed in agreement and they sealed the deal by sharing a hot dog when they went to the park. Arthur also made the private vow to himself to never reveal to anyone that he'd taken to carrying dog treats in his pocket everywhere he went. Nor would he ever admit to switching over from the news to watch cartoons instead, since Merlin swore they were Freya's favourites.

::

"… because I could tell my mum to come and get her and you cou-"

"It's okay, Merlin" Arthur interrupted. "I know that you don't like leaving her alone and I can work from home like you do, at least for a couple of days. I know Hunith can't take her to work, this is the best solution."

"But your father, Arthur, I don't want to cause trouble for you." Merlin sounded worried.

"Won't be a problem" Arthur sighed. "He's on a business trip with his 'new secretary' and won't be back until next week." He could hear Merlin's sympathetic mumble at the other end of the line. It wasn't something that he liked to talk about but one evening he'd been drunk and Merlin had pried the information out of him, about how Uther had been unable to cope with being alone after Arthur's mother died and how he'd paraded one new girlfriend after the other before his young, and still grieving, son.

"Yes, well," Arthur cleared his throat, "as I said, it won't be a problem. At least if you'll be back home before next week, which I assume you will?"

"Naaaw, you miss me?" Merlin asked cheekily.

"Yes, Merlin, that's exactly it. Arthur answered drily. "The flat is too quiet without your inane nattering and it looks entirely too clean without smelly socks scattered across the flat." Merlin laughed at the other line.

"I'd imagine" he answered, then sighed. "Well, I'd like to go home right now but they're still running tests…"

"But seriously, they've got to have figured it out by now haven't they?" Arthur noticed how worried he sounded and quickly tried to amend himself. "I mean, you can't just slouch around forever, can you?"

"I'll be home as soon as I can" Merlin promised, somehow more for Arthur's benefit than for his own.

::

After a week of single parenting Freya Arthur was so tired after the morning walk that he went straight back to bed and fell asleep again. Three hours later he woke up by frantic barking and Merlin's laughter. After a quick prayer of thanks for the fact that someone that was not himself would now take care of getting up at the crack of dawn to go for walks he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and stumbled out into the kitchen.

"Thanks for taking care of Freya for me" Merlin said smiling, holding out a cup of coffee and Arthur grabbed it and greedily downed half of its contents before being awake and conscious enough of his surroundings to mumble something along the lines of "no big deal." Merlin smiled.

"Yes it is" he insisted. "I know you're not exactly the world's biggest fan of pets." That was probably an accurate way of describing things. Sure, he had to admit that he could think that it looked a bit cosy to have a pet to cuddle with but it was a far way from there to actually getting one of his own and although Arthur couldn't really remember personally having anything against pets growing up, Uther had always insisted that animals only made messes and shouldn't be allowed inside the house at all. He'd never really questioned that point of view while living at home and since he'd moved out to live on his own he'd never had any reason to change his opinion, especially not considering that Freya had a penchant for eating his socks instead of Merlin's. Besides, between working and working some more he didn't really have the time to look after himself properly, let alone a pet as well.

"Yeah, well," he answered after finishing the second half of his coffee and finally feeling a bit more awake, "she's grown on me."

"Really?" Merlin beamed hopefully.

"Really" Arthur confirmed, deadpan. "Like a fungus."

"Prat!"

"Idiot!"

"Clotpole!"

"Good to have you home, Merlin."


	2. Chapter 2

Well, apparently there was a little sequel coming up after all... =)

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Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the characters in the series, I'm just borrowing them from their respective owners to play with a little and I promise to give them back when I'm done. No copyright infringement is intended and I don't make any money from writing fanfiction.

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 **Arthur Pendragon's not so very big aversion to prized pets**

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Arthur settled himself in his bed, letting out a long, satisfied sigh as he sank back against the pillows. He'd changed the bed linens, aired out and vacuumed the comforter and his bed was now a clean, fluffy haven, completely devoid of any dog slobber or shed fur. Merlin was home again and that meant that Freya would be too busy being happy to see him again, clambering all over him, to try and sneak off into Arthur's meticulously cleaned and carefully arranged bed. He was about to get his first night of uninterrupted sleep since the unfortunate day when Merlin ended up in hospital, for reasons still unknown, and he was certainly going to make the most of it. Smiling to himself he switched off the lights and pulled the duvet up around his shoulders. He stretched out fully, using the whole bed as he no longer had to leave room for the dog as well. He was ready, ready to head off to the land of dreams. All he had to do now was to wait… and wait… and apparently wait some more. But no matter how much he tried to just let go and let his muscles melt into marshmallowy relaxation, sleep somehow evaded him.

So he turned instead. Perhaps he would sleep better on his other side? Nope. He turned back, didn't like it any better than the first time, tried sleeping on his stomach instead and then on his back. Nothing worked. He tried counting sheep, dragons and even Westie terriers but it was of no use. Sleep just wouldn't come to him and finally, after tossing and turning for over two hours, he gave up and switched the lamp back on to try to read himself to sleep. Just as he'd picked up his book he heard the now very familiar pitter-patter of Freya's claws approaching and he steeled himself for the inevitable showdown that was about to take place. The battle lines were already drawn and Arthur was not about to lose this time. On his honour, there would be no dogs in the Pendragon bed tonight. Period.

"Did you abandon Merlin already?" he whispered accusingly to the small dog as she rounded the corner and entered his room but that didn't deter Freya at all. She just cocked her head to the side and pawed at the side of the bed. Arthur sighed and looked away, Freya answered by scratching harder. Arthur sighed again when he realized that this was how it was going to be like and then turned to face the furry menace again.

"No" he said, quietly but forcefully. He didn't want to wake Merlin up, not unless he absolutely had to. The other man had looked awfully tired and pale upon returning home after his hospitalization and Arthur didn't want to add to that. Freya clearly realized that she needed to up her game and switched from puppy dog eyes to pleading puppy dog eyes.

"No" Arthur said again but even as he spoke he could hear the determination in his voice wither away. "Go sleep on Merlin's bed. Go on, shoo!" Freya just plopped he butt down on the floor and continued scratching at his bed. Arthur stubbornly looked down on his book, trying to keep from being swayed by Freya's gaze, and that's when she decided to bring out the heavy artillery. Pleading puppy dog eyes _and_ pitiful whining.

"You'll wake Merlin up" Arthur admonished her but as that reprimand only led to an increase in volume, Arthur swore loudly and reached over to lift her up.

"You," he said to the small dog, holding her up in front of him and staring her right in the eyes, "are a menace. A furry fucking _menace_." Freya yipped happily, wagged her tail and attempted to lick his nose in response. "A menace" Arthur repeated as he put her down on top of the duvet so she could curl up behind his knees like she'd gotten used to during the past week.

When Arthur woke up the next morning the dog was gone and the only proof that she'd ever been there was the tell-tale dog hairs all over his bed. He didn't find it in himself to care about it as he pushed the covers out of the way and got ready for work. He did however switch from the news channel that he'd watched while eating breakfast to the cartoon channel before he said goodbye to Freya who stayed curled up on the sofa, attentively eyeing the bowl containing the last of his cereals that he didn't have time to finish, and left the apartment. Unbeknownst to Arthur, Merlin smiled as he watched their interaction from the hallway and started to think of a cunning plan.

::

"Please, Arthur, just for the afternoon?" Merlin asked beseechingly. "I'll be back before you know it." Grudgingly Arthur agreed, unable to resist the two sets of puppy dog eyes currently staring at him. It wasn't his fault that Merlin had forgotten that he had a meeting that afternoon but it damn well felt like it, the way the two of them looked at him.

"Fine" he muttered. "But it's your dog and your responsibility, you can't just expect me to be here to pick up the slack every time you screw up your schedule and…"

"It won't happen again" Merlin breathlessly promised, cutting him off as he jogged around the apartment, trying to find his bag and put on his shoes at the same time.

"Better not" Arthur called out after the retreating form of his roommate as the door slammed shut. He then turned to the small dog standing beside him, giving her a pat on the head. "Well, Freya, guess it's only you and me then."

"Just Arthur and Freya-time" this particular afternoon meant a walk to the park, a coffee in the sun for Arthur and some water for Freya and an impromptu playdate with the neighbour's lab cross. After such strenuous activities both of them were thoroughly tired and felt the need to lie down for a bit. Arthur stretched out on the couch as Freya flopped down on the rug in front of the TV. Arthur only had the time to raise one surprised eyebrow before the dog was back on her feet and standing expectantly right next to the sofa instead. Freya would never skip out on cuddles on the couch if there was anyone there willing to provide them, and obviously she'd just remembered that Arthur was now permanently included in that category of people as well. Rather than pretending that he wasn't going to give in and listen to her whining for a while before admitting defeat Arthur just picked the small dog up and let her settle in the crook of his elbow. Then, with the television playing in the background both of them drifted off to sleep.

"I knew it!" Merlin exclaimed triumphantly as he clicked away on his camera phone, taking a million pictures of Arthur and Freya snuggled up together on the couch. "I _knew_ that you like her, only you wouldn't admit it! Ha!" Arthur groaned and tried to pull one of the throw blankets over his head as Merlin continued to dance around the living room, taking more photos and making an unholy racket as he went. Merlin wasn't supposed to be home for another hour Arthur groggily noted as he threw a glance at his watch and he couldn't really figure out what was going on, especially not as Merlin continued to shout triumphantly as he did some sort of weird victory dance while, by the looks of it, posting something on Facebook. He briefly debated getting up and putting an end to it but Merlin didn't look as if he'd willingly shut up any time soon and it was too much of an effort as well, with the couch being so comfortable and he also didn't want to jostle Freya. In the end he just decided to go back to sleep, still holding the small dog who hadn't moved a muscle since the whole thing started, and just barely noticed that Merlin put away his phone and joined them as well.


End file.
